Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Smarter Spaces is a space management and relocation consulting company that specializes in 3D mobile scanning and processing to capture and document interior spaces and the environment. The Nova Scotia Community College's (NSCC) Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) is eager to collaborate with Smarter Spaces to evaluate the absolute accuracy of and synergy between multiple 3D point datasets acquired using different sensors and derived from different mapping approaches. AGRG will also investigate the potential to display and manipulate the acquired data in 3D visualization environments such as augmented and virtual reality. AGRG and Smarter Spaces will survey the interior and exterior of a coastal commercial fish plant in Lockeport, N.S., where AGRG has previously acquired topo-bathymetric lidar, using several terrestrial and mobile mapping systems operated by Smarter Spaces plus aerial drones owned by AGRG. The datasets will be spatially located using survey grade GPS and total station so the accuracy of the different sensors can be compared to the 'true' location of features. These comparisons will allow Smarter Spaces to better understand the capabilities and drawbacks of their different systems, and to determine the potential for integrating diverse datasets captured for the interior and exterior of the plant and surrounding terrain (ie. wharf and breakwater). In addition, the study will demonstrate the benefits of visualizing the data in augmented and virtual reality, which could help Smarter Spaces advance the way they display their data to their clients for projects such as evacuation mapping and space renovations.